


The Girl Willing To Self Destruct

by tooberjoober



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 08:44:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6072715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tooberjoober/pseuds/tooberjoober
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was strong, determined, and loyal. In a way she reminded him of what he was fighting for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Girl Willing To Self Destruct

**Author's Note:**

> So I actually wrote this a couple of years ago (I never actually posted it) but I decided to rewrite it and upload it since I have an account now!  
> This is mainly based on the movie.  
> So yeah! I hope you like it!

Éponine walked slowly up the stairs of the Musain as the Les Amis meeting was ending. Marius saw her and quickly ran to her.

"One moment. I have to go get my coat." He grinned, and Éponine felt a crack form in her heart. That smile wasn't for her.

She stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes moving slowly over the group of students until finally they locked with Enjolras'. His stoic face seemed to soften for a moment and he rose from his seat to speak with her.

"Mademoiselle Éponine." He frowned. "You don't have to do this for him."

"M'sieur, you don't understand." Éponine sighed. "When you love someone, you'll put their happiness over your own. I'll do anything he asks of me."

"Éponine. Marius is a vain person. He loves her because he believes she is beautiful. This won't make him notice you." Enjolras told her, his voice as strong and passionate as when he gave his speeches.

"I know I am not beautiful m'sieur" Éponine shook her head, sadly. "But he is. I can make him smile."

"Éponine! Are you ready?" Marius called up the stairs. Éponine glanced down and seemed ready to bolt.

"Mademoiselle, please." Enjolras pleaded, holding her there by the arm. "I'm begging you. Don't put your happiness at stake for him." Éponine looked at his pleading blue eyes, but she quickly ripped her arm from his grip and hurried down the stairs.

xxx

Éponine didn't know how she ended up back at the Musain. She was soaked to the bone and freezing. She needed to find shelter for the night. Despite the fact that it was well after midnight the Musain was still serving it's last customers. Éponine stumbled through the door. She fell into a chair and put her head in her hands, wiping away a mixture of rain and tears that had culminated on her cheeks.

"Mademoiselle?" A beautiful, familiar voice called to her. "Éponine, are you alright?" Enjolras asked, pulling a chair up beside her. He looked at her with a worried expression. "Éponine, you're soaking wet." He frowned, removing his jacket and throwing it over her shoulders. She sat there silently, only moving to try to wipe off her face. "Éponine-"

"M'sieur." She mumbled. "You were right, m'sieur." One of her hands dropped to the table and she began scratching at the wood. "She is so beautiful, m'sieur. No wonder he loves her, instead of a hideous creature like me." She hissed.

"Mademoiselle…" Enjolras trailed off. He placed his hand gingerly over hers. "I have not seen this girl, but I know Pontmercy must be a fool to let go a girl as beautiful, intelligent, and courageous as yourself."

"Marius is not a fool!" Éponine exclaimed harshly, pulling her hand out from under his. "I'm…sorry for shouting m'sieur." She mumbled, putting her hands in her lap.

"You don't have to apologize." Enjolras shook his head. "You are passionate about something. Loyal to someone. I believe that is to be admired." After a moment of silence Enjolras stood. "Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?"

"M'sieur?"

"Do you have a safe place to sleep tonight?" He repeated.

"I uh…what do you mean by safe, m'sieur?" She asked, knowing what his answer would be, yet asking anyway.

He sighed and offered her his hand. "Come on mademoiselle." She warily took his hand and rose unsteadily to her feet. Enjolras kept hold of her hand and lead her to a humble building with several floors.

"Where are you taking me, m'sieur?" Éponine asked as Enjolras stopped by the door of the building to get out his keys.

"My apartment." He responded unlocking the door. "You can stay here with me tonight."

Éponine raised an eyebrow at him. Her confused face quickly melted into a seductive expression. "Oh really, m'sieur?" She asked.

"Yes." Enjolras said, simply, not noticing her change in tone. He opened the door and lead her up to his room. He let her into the room and closed the door behind himself, locking it.

Éponine stepped closer to him and put her hands on his chest when he turned to her. "How would you like me, m'sieur?" She asked in a sultry way.

Enjolras looked down at her startled and confused. "What?" He asked, not understanding what she was implying.

"As payment for letting me stay with you, m'sieur." She explained, wrapping her arms around his neck. "How would you like me, m'sieur?"

Enjolras' eyes widened as he finally understood what she meant. He reached around to grab her hands and he brought them in front of his chest, looking at her small calloused hands in comparison to his. "Éponine, this is an act of kindness." He said, looking her in the eyes. "You owe me nothing."

"I…" Éponine was confused. "O-of course I owe you something! I don't have any money m'sieur, what do you want?" She demanded.

Enjolras rolled his eyes and walked over to his bedside, taking a pillow and tossing it onto the ground. "Fine. For my payment I want you to call me Enjolras, not monsieur. And I want you to sleep." He said.

"But!" Éponine prepared an argument, but a look from Enjolras stopped her. "Thank you." She muttered, suddenly feeling more fatigued than she had in years. His bed looked like it belonged to a king with all the luxury that Éponine had known. She wandered toward it.

"Are your clothes still wet?" Enjolras asked, rolling up his sleeves and taking his jacket from where it hung over Éponine's shoulders.

"Uh no, m'sieur-" She froze. "Enjolras." She corrected herself quickly.

"Alright." He nodded. "If you like you can just sleep in those, or I can lend you something. It may be a bit large though." He added, putting his jacket over a chair and starting to rummage through his wardrobe.

"Borrowing something would be nice…" Éponine admitted, looking down at her worn dress. "I normally don't accept pity, but m'sieur- Enjolras, why are you being so nice to me?" She wondered aloud.

Enjolras paused for a moment, a nightshirt hung over his arm. Why was he doing all of this? "I want to help. I want to help you and other people like you." He explained. At least that was the simple explanation. "And there's something about you." Enjolras added after a moment of hesitation. "So determined, and loyal. Although why you put all of that towards that idiot, Pontmercy I have no clue."

"Marius is kind to me!" Éponine exclaimed. "He cares about me." She insisted, her voice softer. Although whether she said it for Enjolras or herself, she couldn't say.

Enjolras heard the change in her voice so he decided not to argue. He handed her the nightshirt. "I'll go in the hall so you can change." He said, heading towards the door.

"I don't mind." Éponine said, shrugging out of her dress. "Nothing that hasn't been seen before and nothing you haven't seen before, right Enjolras?" She called over her shoulder. Enjolras stood rigidly by the door, refusing to face her. Éponine pulled the nightshirt over her head. "Are you alright?" She asked, walking over to Enjolras. "Wait…your face!" She laughed, leaning around to look at him.

Enjolras' face was bright red. He ducked his head and walked to his wardrobe finding sleepwear for himself. "You don't have to leave, but I'd rather you not look at me." He said.

"Alright." Éponine grinned. Though she was a bit confused about why he was so shy. How could a man like him never have been with a woman? She peeked over at him, slightly tanned, smooth skin. Her jaw gaped slightly and she wondered what Marius would look like without his shirt.

"Éponine, didn't I ask you not to look?" Enjolras huffed, turning to face her. He was fully clothed now, allowing her to think more clearly. His face was still a light shade of pink, which she wanted to tease, but didn't want to upset him.

"Sorry, m'sieur Enjolras." She muttered, avoiding his disappointed gaze.

Enjolras crossed the room to his bookshelf and grabbed a heavy volume from it. "I like to do a bit of reading before bed." Enjolras explained at Éponine's confused look. He gingerly placed the book on his desk. "Please, make yourself comfortable." He offered, nodding to the bed.

Éponine walked cautiously to the bed. She sat down. "Is here good, Enjolras?" She asked. Surely this would be when he came in to reap his payment.

Enjolras glanced over his shoulder. "Sure. You can go to sleep if you'd like. I can blow out the candles."

Éponine frowned. "And you'll wake me up when you're ready?" She asked, confused.

"Ready?"

Éponine shook her head. "You really are clueless m'sieur. So you really don't want anything?" She asked. "Shame. You're very handsome."

"Éponine, if you're trying to get me to let you 'pay' me it's not going to work." Enjolras frowned.

"Huh?" Éponine muttered, falling down onto the bed. "No m'sieur, I mean Enjolras." Her eyes fluttered shut.

xxx

Enjolras commanded his militia skillfully. It was like he was born to do this. Putting the red flag on top of the barricade, his blond curls looking much less controlled than they usually did, his blue eyes cold and calculating, he looked like a god. Apollo in appearance, Ares in spirit. The soldiers approached and he quickly went behind the barricade for cover and to give orders. The fighting had begun.

Enjolras' thoughts were in a whirlwind. There could be two and only two outcomes to this. They would begin a new world or die trying. And although he knew they were as prepared as they could be, deep down he worried the second may occur. He didn't know why, but in the lull moments his thoughts kept turning to Éponine.

Éponine, the girl willing to give up her happiness for someone she love. Éponine, the girl so determined to survive. Éponine, wasn't she the spirit of revolution, in her own way?

"Éponine." He could've sworn he saw her, rushing about in the guise of a man. "Éponine." No…that wasn't a man. "Éponine!" He exclaimed, hurrying to the side of the girl.

"Pardon, m'sieur?" Éponine said, in a voice slightly deeper, but still recognizably her own.

"Éponine. What are you doing here?" Enjolras demanded, grabbing her arm and pulling her aside.

"I have to be here for him, m'sieur. I have to protect him. He can't die." She said quickly in a panic. "I won't let him die."

"Éponine, it's too dangerous here for you." Enjolras said. "I can't let you stay here."

"Please, Enjolras." She begged. "I'll do anything." She grabbed desperately at his shirt. "Please, please, please." She pleaded.

"Éponine…" He couldn't look at her. His stoic facade melted for a brief moment. He wanted to give her the world, he wanted to keep her safe. "No." His face hardened again. "I can't let you stay here." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along to a building where some women had holed up.

"Please m'sieur!" Éponine shouted, pulling against him with all her might. "Don't make me leave him!"

Enjolras turned quickly and cupped her face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed her. It was brief, but he put everything into it, all his worry and fear, all his admiration and was it love? Maybe it was. He pulled away too soon.

Éponine froze and in the moment of shock he pushed her into the building. He looked at the women, "Please keep her safe." He said, his voice soft. "Don't let her leave."

She had to get out. She had to get back out there. Marius…Gavroche…Enjolras…she needed to make sure they were alright. She couldn't live while they were all gone.

Enjolras. He was a part of that list. The list of people she didn't want to live without. When had that happened? When had he become so important to her? Was it when he let her stay with him? Was it when he let her borrow clothes? Was it just now when he kissed her.

He kissed her. She reached up slowly and touched her lips. Even though it had only been for a moment she could remember every detail. His lips were so soft against her chapped ones. He smelled so sweet, despite the fact that a revolution was going on around them. He brushed her hair behind her ear. His hands were so soft. It felt like a dream. She had never been kissed like that so soft, so sweet, so full of love.

She had to see him. She had to see Marius.

xxx

Éponine was dying. She knew it. Marius was holding her, maybe she could be happy. He loved her. "M'sieur…" She frowned, holding her side. "Where's m'sieur Enjolras?" She asked weakly, looking around for him.

"Sh…sh…" Marius said, not paying attention to what she said. "It's fine. You'll be okay." He assured her, wiping raindrops off of her forehead. "I love you, Éponine."

"I love you too, m'sieur, but Enjolras…" She struggled, turning her head and seeing the man. He looked the part of a mourning man, his usually stoic face lined with dread and grief. His golden curls were plastered to his forehead and his clothes hung to his frame. Éponine smiled and reached out to him. "M'sieur…no, Enjolras." She called out.

Enjolras rushed over, taking her from Marius' arms. "Don't worry Éponine. I'll find Combferre and you'll be okay." He assured her. "You're going to live." He promised. His voice started cracking. He was worried.

"Enjolras." Éponine smiled. She reached up and touched his cheek. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek.

Her heart stopped. And in a way, his did too. "Éponine?" He asked, his voice breaking. "Éponine." He sat down, holding the girl to his chest. "Éponine…"

"Enjolras…" Marius walked over to his friend. "She's gone."

Enjolras' eyes hardened. "This is all your fault." He scowled. "She came here for you. She risked her life for you. She gave up her happiness for you. She loved you."

"I didn't know." Marius said indignantly. "How could I have known?"

"She did everything for you!" Enjolras spat, holding Éponine close to his chest.

"I didn't know!" Marius shouted back.

"She loved you." Enjolras hissed, tangling his hands in Éponine's hair. "She loved you."

"Why do you care?" Marius exclaimed. "You didn't even know her!"

"I love her." He muttered, pressing his forehead against hers. She was cold, they were both soaking. It felt unreal. "I love her." He said louder, looking back at Marius. "She is so beautiful. But you could never see it." He frowned.

Marius shook his head and walked off. His friend was dead. But wouldn't they all be soon enough?

xxx

Enjolras knew death was imminent. He wasn't stupid. He knew that he wouldn't live past the day. He watched friend after friend fall, but the first death lingered over his heart and stayed on his mind.

Enjolras was alone. Grantaire broke through the soldiers to stand by his side. Enjolras smiled. He raised the flag in the air. "For France, for my friends, for Éponine." Soon he would be with his friends again. Soon he would see Éponine again. He was falling and darkness encompassed him.


End file.
